What should you consider when designing workplace prevention programs?
Workplace violence is a threat to every organization, but it is particularly prevalent in medical facilities. Up to 75% of healthcare workers have received physical or verbal abuse from patients or someone connected to the patient. With the recent shootings at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital, what should be considered when designing a workplace violence prevention program for healthcare facilities?
David Davari, Managing Director for Pinkerton, penned an article for Medical Economics in which he discusses how decision-makers at these facilities can identify and mitigate workplace violence in the healthcare industry. David mentions that one of the keys to a successful program is being compliant with OSHA’s guidelines. A workplace violence prevention program should include these five elements:
- Management commitment and employee participation and engagement
- Work site analysis and hazard identification—including an evaluation of current security posture
- Hazard prevention and control
- Safety and health training encompassing hazard recognition and response procedures and protocols
- Record keeping and program evaluation, including incident tracking, training, assessments, etc.
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